Avatar in Amity Park
by ImaginationRevelation
Summary: Sequel to "Phantom Alternate World Traveler"
1. The Ghost Zone

"Danny!" Korra bellows in Danny's left. "You're crazy! Put me down!"

"No, can do, Korra," he smugly replies. "The wormhole to your world is closed now. We can't go back. We can only go forward. Get ready for adventure!"

"But I have to go back! I have Avatar duties to do!" Korra wonders how Danny could just rip her out of her own world, especially when she has a very important job to maintain.

"Relax. You need a vacation."

"But I have to go back!" It is of absolute importance. Does Danny not understand?

Danny stops flying mid-air and looks sternly into Korra's eyes. "The wormhole is closed. There is nothing we can do now, okay? Just enjoy your vacation. It's free. All the best stuff in the world is free. Take air for example."

Korra still feels tense and a little miffed, but knows Danny is right. She relaxes a bit and smiles, "You know this is called kidnapping, right?"

Danny laughs. "Report me."

Korra was too busy yelling at Danny and calling him names to realize the shockingly green environment surrounding her. It hits her all of a sudden and Korra blinks. The place is green. There is no other way to describe this area. It is just GREEN and it is everywhere, which unnerves Korra because she is not used to all this greenness. Whiteness, yes, but not greenness and now she knows, there is such a thing as too much green. The color is attacking her eyes and making her a bit nauseous.

"Welcome to the Ghost Zone," Danny says.

While Korra is trying not to focus on the green, a ghost passes them by. She glances at it. It looks like a generic purple blob. It is so different from the glittery spirits from her world, which she is beginning to really miss and which she now considers to be gorgeous. She begins to wonder how unappealing Danny's home might be.

"It's so... _green_ like boogers," Korra replies. Danny laughs. Korra's honesty takes her by surprise. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"Nah, don't worry. You weren't insulting me," he brushes it off. "I have to admit that coming back to the Ghost Zone is quite a disappointment." He looks around a bit. "Doesn't compare to the Spirit World." His eyes roam over the place. Korra wonders if he is trying to figure out if something has changed here and if it could give him a clue to how long he was away.

"Anyway, ready to visit my home? Meet my family and friends?"

"Let's go!" Korra readily agrees. "Anything to get away from this creepy place."

Holding his passenger tight, Danny zooms away, trying to find the portal to the human world. They fly quickly for miles and miles. Korra notices more ghosts, but they appear blurry due to Danny's speed. Korra can tell that Danny is anxious to get home.


	2. Home

Just a few moments ago, Danny was still enjoying his vacation. He was relaxed and light-hearted and now, all the relaxation seems to have melted away. It has been replaced with dread. Danny has a million thoughts on his mind. He wonders how long he has been gone. He wonders if his parents' missed him or if they even noticed that he was missing.

'Wow, I haven't cleaned my room for a while. I'm not looking forward to that,' he ponders.

He wonders how Tucker got along without him. His thoughts rush to Sam. Does she still bear a torch for him? Has she gotten over him? He knows that they cannot make a relationship work. He has to tell her that. How will she take it? Will he be thrown back into the world wind romance? Will she become insulted or will she accept it gracefully?

He looks down and notices that he is still holding Korra. 'Holy crap, how are people going to react to her? How is she going to react to my world? I really didn't think this through. Nice going, Fenton," he mentally scolds himself.

He knows he cannot dwell on what he did; that is not going to change anything so he is going to focus on what he really wants: to go home, but there is another problem.

'Oh crap, how am I going to get back? Damn! The portal's closed - GREAT - and there's no way to get back! I really didn't think this through!' His heart races. It knows no hope for the moment, but Danny's gut tells him to keep going. What does he have to lose? He might as well listen to the gut.

He is racing through the Ghost Zone, glancing down at Korra to make sure she is okay. Her eyes are closed. He wonders if she is scared. How could she be though? She rides a polar-bear dog through the tundra on a daily basis. She had to take out a psychopath not too long ago and she did many other things that only people with courage could accomplish.

He keeps his eyes forward. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Skulker chasing a blue dolphin ghost, shouting that he is the greatest hunter there ever was and will ever be. Danny chuckles. He has forgotten how lame but committed Skulker was.

Danny quickens his speed and he passes miles in mere minutes, which feel like hours. His anxiety is eating his soul. Soon, he glimpses the familiar route that will lead him to the Fenton ghost portal and he dutifully follows it.

There is a faint light coming from the portal. Danny realizes that the portal must open. 'Oh, great, dad forgot to close the portal again. Works for me!'

He inches closer and closer, soon stepping out of the Ghost Zone and into the real world. Stepping into his basement, he changes into Danny Fenton.

"Korra, we're here." He prods the Avatar.

Korra's eyes snap open. "Oh thank the spirits!" She wiggles out of his arms and steps onto floor, eyes wide open taking the details of his home.

At that moment, two people swoop down on Danny, hugging and crushing him. Smothered but still smiling, he knows that they noticed.


	3. Maddie and Jack

"Oh, Danny! You're _alive_ and you're home!" A woman, sporting a brown bob and wearing a blue suit, exclaims with relief.

"Danny! Son, where have you been?" asks a large man boasting black hair and wearing a bright orange suit, which stings Korra's eyes. She was not expecting all these colors in this world. 'Way better than the green, though,' she muses.

The two adults hug Danny for a long time. The woman plants kisses all over his face, leaving red lip marks all over Danny's nose, forehead and cheeks.

"Where have you been? What did you do? Why were you gone so long?" are some of the questions that were being hurled at Danny.

"Mom! Dad! Please! Let me breathe!" Danny struggles to get out of his parents' grips. "I was on vacation."

"Vacation?! In the Ghost Zone? And you didn't think it was important to tell us? Did you think that we weren't going to worry? Because we did!" Maddie, with her hands on her hips, glares at her son.

"You tell him, Maddie," Jack adds, supporting his wife. Then he turns to Danny. "By the way, did you catch any ghosts?!" Jack asks his son eagerly, earning a glare from his wife.

"No, I didn't and I didn't mean to go on vacation. It just happened! It was an accident," Danny tries to explain himself. Maddie is wearing a disapproving glance, while Jack's face is painted with confusion. "I'll explain later," Danny says and then looks at Korra. "Besides, Korra already knows the story. I've had to tell it about a million times and hearing it once more would make her ears bleed."

Maddie's and Jack's eyes shift from their son unto their guest.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" bellows Jack. "Are you a ghost?"

"No, dad, Korra is not a ghost. She's a friend whom I met while I was on vacation," Danny explains to his father, who has readied the ECTO-cannon.

"Jack, put that thing down!" Maddie barks at her husband. She turns to Korra and smiles. "Welcome, Korra," Maddie says warmly, extending her hand. "My name is Maddie Fenton, Danny's mother, and this is my husband, Jack. Would you like anything to eat? Drink? I just made fresh chocolate chip cookies. Would you like one?"

"Chocolate chip cookies?" Korra repeats, completely bewildered. 'What the hell is this place?' She looks at Danny with wide eyes, confusing Maddie, who seems to think that she has insulted the girl somehow.

Danny laughs. "It's okay. They're good. Trust me. Don't worry."

"Thank you. If they're good, then of course, I'll have some."

Maddie smiles and leads them upstairs to the kitchen.

"Cookies yum!" Jack's voices trails behind them. "Hey, Korra, you're very muscular. You ever catch any ghosts?"


	4. Cookies, Stories and Bending

In the kitchen, Maddie lays a tray full of chocolate chip cookies on the table. Right when she pulls her hands away, Jack attacks the tray, grabbing a handful of cookies. He begins munching them, while asking Korra questions about ghosts and spraying cookie crumbs all over the Water Tribe girl.

"Jack, stop badgering Korra about ghosts," Maddie says exasperatedly. "Now, Danny, honey, you have been gone for about one hundred sixty-seven days. Care to explain why you were gone so long?"

Danny swallows the cookie he was eating. He forgot how good they were. "Of course, I'll exp- whoa! What? I was gone for about five months?!"

"Yes, sweetie, about five months."

"Wow...that's long."

"Yes, we know! We were counting the days!" Maddie cries. "So, where were you?"

Danny explains almost the whole story - from the worm hole to the North Pole to Republic City to the road trip to crazy ass Zaheer and back to the worm hole and home, where he finds himself now. He does not describe the bending possibilities of this other world. He wonders how his parents will react to that. It was hard trying to figure out how to tell them he was half-ghost and he is their son for crying out loud. So, how will a girl from a different world who possesses powers over four basic elements strike them?

Danny looks at Korra, who has been only half-heartedly listening, but has definitely noticed the omission. "Should we tell them the part that I left out?"

"You two are dating?!" cries Jack. "I knew it! Man, I am so good!"

"JACK! Have some tact!" Maddie yells, glaring at her husband and then looking at the kids. "But are you?"

"No, we're not! Why do so many people think that?" Danny defends himself. "So can I tell them?"

Korra nods, giving Danny permission to inform his parents and so he does.

"LIES!" shouts Jack. "That's impossible!"

Danny wants to tell his dad to "shut up," but his mom gets there first.

"JACK!" Maddie yells. "Your son is a _half-ghost_! How can you not believe that this is not possible?"

"Well, I still want some proof!" Jack says defensively.

Maddie sighs. "Korra, you'll have to excuse Jack. He's a little...excitable."

"It's no problem. I'll be happy to show you," Korra replies. She looks at Danny. "Can I get some water?"

"Sure." Danny runs to the cupboard and gets a glass. He fills it up with water from the sink and hands the glass to Korra, who sets it on the table. She puts her hands in the bending position and begins to bend the water. It forms into a giant water snake and she makes it dance around the kitchen. Maddie is in awe. She applauds Korra, while Jack slams the table, exclaiming, "Now, _that's_ proof!" Korra beams and bows.


	5. Strange Things

The next morning, Korra wakes up in Danny's sister's room, which is draped with blue sashes and streamers. Danny says that this color is the color of some place called Yale, which is apparently some school or something which Jazz attends. The color reminds Korra of her home, but she cannot say that about any other part of this home.

This whole place is super strange. The bathroom boasts a weird hose-like contraption, which when one turns it on, water flows from it like a waterfall. Korra did not expect this when Danny showed her how to use it. At first, she did not like the sensation, but after a few minutes, she saw this method superior to bathing. But the magic is not over yet! The water could also become hot or cold just by turning what Danny calls the "faucet."

Personal hygiene is much easier to maintain in this house, which is something Korra is not used to. Toilets and sinks and baths are not as efficient in Republic City - much less in the North Pole - as they are here.

But the bathroom is not the only weird part of the house. There is a whole room dedicated a rectangle glued to the wall. Apparently, one can receive news here and other entertainment like sports or a digital version of plays.

Danny is very interested in playing what he calls "video games." He invited her to join yesterday, but she declined. She does not know what to do with these "video games," so she decided she would watch him play instead. She found this to be very boring after five minutes. It was filled with violence and she has enough of that in her own life. She told herself that this vacation is going to be hostility free or at least, she hopes it will.

She decided to go into the backyard and play with the new addition to the Fenton family - Danny, the Alaskan Malamute. He was added to the family after Danny went missing. The puppy is only three months old and Korra thinks he is so adorable. Danny has a different opinion.

Yesterday, after the cookies, a silver streak burst into the kitchen and started playfully attacking Danny's leg, making Danny yelp.

"Why is there a wolf in the house?!" he cried.

"Honey, that is not a wolf," Maddie said, stooping down to pet the furry creature. "This is Danny, our puppy."

"Danny? Isn't that going to be confusing?" asked Danny.

"Now it is since you're back. Naming the dog 'Danny' was Jazz's idea. She missed you very much when you disappeared."

"And why get a dog all of a sudden?" Danny demands. "I've been asking for a puppy for years!"

"Well, honey, we got lonely. Jazz doesn't visit us much because of school and you were gone. We decided to get a puppy to fill the void left by you two."

Just as Korra stops thinking about yesterday's amusing scenario, a silver streak bounds into the room she occupies. It jumps onto her bed, assaulting her face with its tongue. She pets the adorable puppy, scratching its ears and kissing its nose. She laughs when the puppy jumps. She begins to miss Naga and hugs the sweet little animal.

"Oh, Danny, you are so cute!" Korra gushes.


	6. Morning

Danny wakes up and realizes that he forgot to tell Tucker that he is back. He makes a mental note to call his best friend after breakfast. He must also call Sam. He gets up out of bed and runs to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He dresses himself and goes downstairs to make himself some breakfast.

"Aren't you just the cutest, Danny? Aren't you? Aren't you? Yes, you are!" he hears. He recognizes Korra's voice and follows it. He did not have any idea that Korra felt like this about him. He does not know how he should feel about it. He also does not know why she is shouting it. He is intrigued and he continues to pursue her voice, which leads him to the backyard, where he finds Korra playing with the puppy.

'Figures. The _replacement_ Danny,' he huffs. He is a little miffed that the dog is named "Danny." He does not know why it bothers him, but it does. He knows he has to deal with it and he is trying to, but he needs time.

"Hey, Korra, I'm going to make some breakfast. You want some?" Danny asks his friend.

The puppy notices another person in the vicinity and becomes excited, running up to Danny. He starts making circles around the human Danny, who looks down at the furry creature. Puppy Danny is wagging its tail and pawing human Danny's legs. It just melts human Danny's heart and he stoops down to pet him. 'Guess I'm over it, now.'

"Yeah! I'm so hungry! What are we having?" Korra's voice brings him back to the pressing matter of morning nourishment.

"I can only make toast."

"I have no idea what that is. Is it good?"

"Pretty good. Can't complain."

"Then I'll have some."

"Right this way, m'lady," Danny says, motioning Korra to the door. Together with the dog, they make their way to the kitchen, where they find Maddie already cooking.

"Pancakes!" Danny's inner child jumps with delight. Danny has forgotten how much he loves pancakes. He did not realize that he missed them.

"Good morning, sweetie. Good morning, Korra," Maddie says cheerily. "Danny, I decided to celebrate by making your favorite! Besides, I thought you would like a nice start to your day."

"Why? What's going to happen?" Danny inquires, helping himself to some pancakes.

"You're a famous hero, Danny, and people definitely noticed that you were gone and they are going to become aware that you're back. They'll want explanations and you're going to have to give a press conference and interviews and stuff. It's going to hectic."

Danny groans. "Great." He hates this stuff, but he knows he has to do them. "Good call on the pancakes, mom."

He starts wolfing them down. Korra joins him. He can tell by the way that she is gobbling them that she enjoys this meal, too.


	7. Pancakes

"These pancakes are _delicious_!" Korra cries with enthusiasm.

"Try them with maple syrup," Maddie suggests. "It'll make them better."

"I doubt that."

Danny hands her a bottle of brownish liquid. Korra raises an eyebrow.

"Can I have a cup?" she asks Maddie, who shoots her a puzzling look. "A cup?"

"Yes, for the maple syrup."

Danny and Maddie laugh. "No, no, Kor, dude, no. You don't drink it. You put it on top of the pancakes."

Korra reddens a bit and does as Danny suggested. She puts some on her breakfast and then takes a bite of the syrupy pancake. Her eyes widen. "Wow, never doubt Maddie Fenton!"

She keeps helping herself to some more pancakes. She does not remember how many she had, but she knows it was way too many since now she is sporting a food baby.

Danny leaves to call his friend and she finds herself alone with Maddie, who breaks the quiet and awkward moment by asking Korra about her bending.

"I think that it's just very impressive that you can manipulate water. It's one of the coolest things I've ever seen and I've seen my son transform into a ghost."

"In my world, it really isn't impressive. The only exciting benders are bloodbenders, airbenders, and the avatar."

"Why is that?"

"Bloodbending is a rare skill that can only be possessed by a few waterbenders. You can bloodbend during a full moon although I have known two men who were able to bend blood without a full moon."

"That is just crazy! Bending blood? Does that mean what I think it means? Controlling another person?" Korra nods. "And what about the others? Why are they special?"

"Airbenders went nearly extinct and now, there's a resurgence and that's a phenomenon. No one has ever heard of people gaining bending just like that. People are usually born with bending abilities. But then again, the four nations and elements have always been in balance until the genocide. That brings me to the Avatar, which is me. I can control all four elements and I have to keep the world in balance."

"Geez! That sounds very tough. I find it hard to just keep Jack in check sometimes. I can't imagine having to have responsibility over the world. Is it a rewarding job?"

"It's a demanding job and people usually disagree with what I decide to do. They blame me for every problem, even if I had nothing to do with it."

"I bet you're doing a good job. I see in your eyes that you have boundless determination to the right thing even if it's not easy. I also sense that you have a good heart," Maddie says sincerely. "I'm definitely not saying that I know how you feel, but I might have an inkling because Danny faces the same problems."

"Yeah, I know. That's why he was sent into my world. It was time for him to take a well-deserved and necessary vacation."

"I'm guessing that's why you're here. For vacation." Korra nods. "Gosh, I hope Danny doesn't say that he was on vacation during his press conference! The reporters and critics will just eat him alive!"


	8. Talking With Tucker

Danny picks up his mobile phone, which he notices is dead. Five months not charging will kill a phone. "What was I expecting?"

He goes on a mission to find another phone. He finds one in his parent's room, but it is sticky. He does not want to know why it is so, but he knows that it is Jack's fault. He cleans the phone and proceeds to dial Tucker's number.

Tucker answers. "Hi, Mrs. Fenton. I was just about to call you. Have you received any updates about Danny?"

"No news, Tucker. Instead, we got the the real thing."

Silence and then a crash. "Sorry. I dropped the phone. What? Danny?! Is it you?! Really?! Or am I just imagining things?"

"Yeah, Tuck, it's me."

"What? How? When?" Tucker sputters.

"Just yesterday. It's a long story." And Danny starts to explain it to him. He is kind of getting tired of saying this over and over, but he will have to at least three more times: to Sam, to Jazz, to the reporters.

"Wow, that's quite a story" is all Tucker can say.

"Please, don't tell me you don't believe it."

"Hey, I believe it! My best friend's a ghost who once made the earth intangible to save it."

"I see your point. Anyway, want to meet up at the Nasty Burger for lunch? At noon?"

"Sure, sounds a plan."

"Okay, I'm going to call Sam and tell her to come."

"Uh, Danny, Sam's not in town."

"Why not?"

"She went to a Goth thing."

"Where?"

"Somewhere in Europe. I don't know. I tuned out after I heard 'Goth' and when she said that I wasn't invited. Yeah, as if I wanted to go there. Everyone wearing black and being sad - not my thing. No room for individuality, which is ironic because that is something that Sam prides herself on."

Danny is a little disappointed that Sam is not in Amity Park, which means he has to postpone his story, which he does not mind, but it also means that he has to postpone telling Sam about his thoughts on their relationship.

"Okay then. Noon. Nasty Burger. See you then."


	9. Lazy Day

Danny comes back downstairs into the kitchen. Korra notices that he looks a bit preoccupied. "So how was the phone call to Tucker?"

"It was great," he answers. "We're going to meet him at the Nasty Burger at noon."

That does not hit a pleasant note. "The Nasty Burger?" Korra makes a face. "What is a burger and why is it nasty?"

Danny laughs. "It's just the name of the place. Don't take everything so literally, Kor. Besides, it's the most famous place in Amity Park. It's got great food, even vegetarians like it."

"Speaking of vegetarians, is Sam going to be there?"

"No."

"Why not? Did you guys have a fight already? Is she mad at you because you vanished or because you came back?" Korra rolls her eyes. "You exes are so weird."

"To be fair, it's you and Mako and Asami and your whole damn situation that are considered weird in my world. Anyway, Sam is somewhere in Europe at a Goth thing."

"A Goth thing?"

"Yeah, a Goth thing. That's all I got from Tucker."

Danny and Korra have a few hours to spare before they have to convene with Tucker so to kill time, they just lie around the house. Danny shows her how to work some of the contraptions in the home. Korra is mesmerized by the kitchen appliances like the microwave and the toaster. Food becomes warm in mere seconds. Life is good when food comes fast.

Korra knows that Danny does not want to venture outside unless it is to meet Tucker. She knows that he does not want to face the critics, the public, and the reporters today. He will have to eventually, but he can avoid it for now and that is why Danny is super interested in showing Korra how the vacuum cleaner works. He describes to her every button, but she is not listening. Cleaning is no way near as interesting as eating, but she pretends to listen with fascination.

Danny decides he wants to play some video games. He invites Korra, but she declines. She opts to go work out and asks where she can find a training area. Danny is surprised by her request. Apparently, people do not take training or exercise very seriously here on earth. They know it is important, but they are just too lazy to work out.

Maddie overhears Korra's desire and is overcome with joy.

"Finally, I will have a work out buddy! No one ever wants to exercise with me or at all. They always ask me, 'Maddie, how are you so damn fit?' I tell them it's due to exercise. They call me determined and they wish they could have my stamina. I invite them to join me in the gym, but they laugh at me! They _laugh_! Korra, tomorrow, you and I are going to the gym. I'm so _excited_! Danny, marry this girl!"


	10. The Nasty Burger Meeting

Soon, the clock strikes eleven thirty and Danny puts on a baseball cap and a hoodie to hide himself from the Amity Park residents. It is about a twenty minute walk to the Nasty Burger. He ushers Korra out of the door and they are off to meet one of Danny's best friends.

Korra gazes at everything with wonder - parking meters, mail boxes, the sleek and modern cars, the way people are dressed, etc. Danny remembers feeling like this in Korra's world: everything is so interesting and one just has to stop and look twice to take it all in because one never knows when - or if - one is going to come back.

Korra stops and gasps. She turns to Danny, "Why are they choking that dog?" She points to a Labrador on a leash.

"Kor, they're not choking it. Here you have to keep your dogs on leashes so they don't run away or cause trouble."

"Pets here must be very uncivilized or have really bad owners if they run away."

They make it to the Nasty Burger with two minutes to spare. Danny leads Korra to a table in the back corner, where no one can see them. He does not feel like being hounded by people right now. He shoots Tucker a text, telling him where he is to be found.

They wait for five minutes and then Tucker runs into the establishment and up to their table. He is out of breath and takes a seat opposite Danny.

"Hey, Danny, sorry I'm la -" Tucker begins to speak, but spots Korra. "Whoaa!" He adjusts his glasses. "Danny, is this your new girlfriend?"

"No, Tuck," Danny says exasperatedly. "Remember when I went to that other world?"

"Yeah..."

"I made a friend there and this is her: Korra."

"And what is she doing here?"

"I'm here on a forced vacation," Korra answers Tucker, who almost falls out of his chair.

"You speak English?" Tuck asks.

"Of course she does!" says Danny. "How else do you think I was able to survive there and make it back home?"

"You have a point." Tucker whistles. "Sam's not going to like this."

"Well, Sam's not here and not my girlfriend," Danny answers.

"You had another breakup?" Danny nods. Tucker rolls his eyes. "Of course."

"Yeah, but this one is final...I hope. I'm surprised she didn't tell you."


	11. According to Tucker

According to Tucker, the Nasty Burger updated its menu, taking the least popular items off and replacing them with new ones. Tucker decided to treat them to three orders of one of the new items: a meatloaf burger, which he claims sounds weird and gross, but is actually one of the tastiest things he has ever tried.

In a matter of minutes, they are eating their food. Danny does not really have positive reviews for the new addition, but Korra thinks he is crazy.

"This is so good!" she cries. Tucker beams, feeling pride in his food choices and the fact that someone actually appreciates them.

"So, tell me," Danny begins. "What happened while I was gone?"

"Man, you really wanna go there?" Danny nods. "Well, you asked for it. Shit happened. Turns out, you were the thing that was actually keeping the ghosts at bay."

"Yeah, Tuck, I know. I catch them. If I didn't, there would be a million more ghosts here in Amity Park."

"That's right! And if you thought there were a lot of ghosts here before, you should've seen what was happening when you were gone! They were popping out of the Ghost Zone like kids bursting out of school to start their summer vacations. It was crazy, dude. They actually destroyed the high school and part of the Nasty Burger. They also defaced your statue. Now you're sporting a Hitler mustache."

Korra chokes and sputters. "Danny, you have a _statue_?" Danny reddens a bit and she is overcome with mirth.

"I'm pretty sure you'll have a statue after the whole ordeal with Zaheer, after being all high and mighty and sacrificing yourself for all the airbenders."

Korra wonders. "At least, everyone will respect it because everybody will know that Korra will give what's coming to them if they do otherwise!"

Danny rolls his eyes and turns his attention to Tucker. "Anything else?"

"All I remember was chaos...so much chaos. Something new and crazy was always happening and it was difficult to keep track, even the news reporters had a hard time and you know, they're always nosing around."

"I bet the public is super pissed at me," Danny sighs.

"Oh, they are! Your ratings have gone downhill - not Vlad bad, but pretty bad. It's really shitty of them actually. They didn't worry about you at all. They only worried about their own precious lives. They began to think that you just got sick of protecting them and left. I kept trying to convince them that that's not possible. You'd never do something like that because you're not a douchebag, but they didn't listen to me at all."

"Goodie! The press conferences will be so much fun. Can't wait!" Danny words drip with sarcasm. He puts his head in his hands. "I'm going to be thrown to the dogs. Maybe it would be less painful to cut off my leg or something?"


	12. The Headline

Danny wakes up the next day to the glorious smell of pancakes. He opens his bright blue eyes and smiles widely. He shoots up out of bed, brushes his teeth, and runs downstairs to eat the pancakes. He spots his mom at the stove, he cheerily bids her "good morning," kisses her on the cheek, and runs to the food. He starts shoving them into his mouth as Korra comes in. Her eyes light up when she sees what is on the table.

"Wow, mom," Danny says between bites. "You must've have really missed me."

"What?" Maddie is lost in thought.

"The pancakes. You must've really missed me."

"Well, we did...but the pancakes are for a different reason," she seems unsure of how to tell him something.

"Bad news?" Maddie nods. "Did the other Danny pee all over my video games?" Maddie shakes her head. "Phew! That would _suck_. Did dad destroy something of mine with his ghost catching gadgets?"

"No, Danny. Look at this." Maddie hands him a newspaper with the headline 'Danny Phantom's Visible Again: Seen Yesterday at the Nasty Burger.'

He drops his fork on the plate in disbelief. The fork makes a very loud clattering noise, startling Korra, who seemed like she was in her own world. "What happened?" she asks her friend as she looks questioningly at him.

"I'm not hungry anymore," he pushes the plate away from him. "Somebody somehow found out that I'm back in Amity Park."

"What? How? You were disguised!"

"I know and the only people who knew that I was back are mom, dad, you, and Tucker."

"Do you think Tucker blabbed?"

"No way! Tuck's my best friend. There's no way he would throw me to the dogs!" Danny vehemently defends his friend. He has no doubt that Tucker would never betray him.

Just as he is mulling this over, the phone rings. Maddie picks it up and hands it to Danny, who takes it without inquiring Maddie who might be on the line.

"Hello?" he says, dreading that it might be a reporter or whatnot. Luckily, it is a friendly voice who seems a little miffed. "Hey, Danny, did you see the headlines?"

"Yeah, Tuck."

"Do you know who told?"

"Nope. Trying to figure that out, but no luck. Do you think that someone might have overheard us talking? Or maybe someone might have been tailing us?"

"Anything's possible. People are ruthless. Listen, do you want me to set up a press conference today so that you can get it over sooner?"

"I'd rather not, but I know I have to. Thanks, Tuck, you're a real pal."


	13. The Press Conference

Tucker scheduled the conference for noon, which gave Danny plenty of time to get into conference-mode. Korra knows he is trying to calm himself down and get ready, but she knows that one can never know what to expect from one of these things. All she knows is that Danny can expect to receive a lot of flak for "deserting" his town. He read the newspaper out loud so she could understand what was going on. The article was completely biased and very critical of the hero and his sudden departure.

Korra knows that going will be upsetting. They will be blasting her friend and she does not want to hear any of that shit, but she will go for moral support. She will be there for him like he was there for her. What are friends for, right?

At eleven fifty, Danny goes ghost and flies with Korra to the town hall, where the conference will be given. Korra is not a fan of this kind of flying, but she is not going to antagonize the tense ghost boy, who might drop her if he disturbed.

They arrive in the nick of time. The crowd is filled with an angry public and nosy reporters, who will harass him with a million questions. They land near a tree and Danny spots Tucker, who sees them and comes over. Tucker leads Korra to the front of crowd, while Danny goes to the podium.

Immediately, the crowd begins to boo him. Korra looks away. It is painful to witness. It is even more painful to be the one who gets booed. After the booing people settling down, Danny is bombarded with questions and criticisms. The words are mixed together, forming a thick hate soup being spewed at Danny, who has no idea where to begin or whose question or criticism to address.

One reporter manages to make herself heard. "GRACE ROSE. AMITY PARK CHRONICLE. I THINK EVERYONE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW: WHERE WERE YOU?"

The people stop shouting and begin to grumble, not too loudly because they want to hear his answer, but loud enough to express their irritation.

Danny clears his throat and clutches the sides of the podium for support. He begins to explain everything - without mentioning the whole vacation thing just like Maddie asked him. People try to interrupt him, but he keeps on rolling, trying to say everything so he will not have to repeat himself and so he can mention everything before he forgets something. Well, he does leave out the part about bending.

"I am sorry that I disappeared. I am sorry that I was gone for about five months, but there was nothing I could do about it. We all should know - living in Amity Park - that crazy things always happen. I promise you that I have not become idle due to my disappearance. I will help fix up this town and restore its glory. I will catch every troublesome ghost - just like before. Thank you for your understanding and your attention."

He leaves gracefully without answering anymore questions. The crowd has become quiet and is mulling this over. Korra has no idea what will happen, how they will react, but she knows Danny has great intentions and he will keep his promise. Nothing is more important to him that the safety of people, no matter how taxing it is to accomplish that.


	14. Teasing

Danny feels a little hot and shaky after giving his speech. He has forgotten how overwhelming the press conferences can be and his first one in five months was quite hectic. He knows that he might not have done a spectacular job, but there was so much noise and he could barely think. He will ease into this routine again like he did before.

'Besides, actions speak louder than words, right?' He says to himself. 'They'll see that I'm actually chasing the ghosts and cleaning up the city so who cares about a short and possibly not the best speech?'

He finds Tucker and Korra. They are in deep conversation. It seems that they were talking about her bending abilities. It appears that Tucker does not believe her and she is proving him wrong.

They look at him and he motions for them to come to him, which they do. They walk quickly, but without trying to draw attention to themselves. If someone else spots Danny Phantom, there will be no escape for the ghost boy. He will be hounded.

Danny goes invisible so no one else can spot him. The two meet up with him.

"How are you feeling, man?" Tucker asks.

"Meh," he replies. "I forgot how panicky these press conferences can make you."

"I could never get a handle on them. Those reporters drive me crazy! They're always talking and _talking_ and pushing and _pushing_ ," Korra adds to the conversation.

Tucker raises his eyebrows. Danny notices. "Don't go questioning her, Tuck. Korra's a big time hero back where she's from, even bigger than me."

"I wasn't...I didn't say anything!" Tucker defends himself.

"Uh-huh." Teasing Tucker always brings Danny some joy. He never means it when he jokes. It just keeps the mood light and that is what he needs right now.

"Whatever," Tucker waves his hand as if he is waving the words away. "Anyway, Nasty Burger? To celebrate your first press conference in five months? On me."

"Well, as long as you're buying..." Danny replies.

"Sorry, I can't come," Korra declines.

Tucker raises his eyebrows. "Korra, you have other plans with someone else already? A boy? You've been in the city for what only two days. My, my, aren't you a busy bee?" Tucker teases Korra.

"The busiest!" Korra jokes. "No, I promised Maddie that I'd go to the gym with her so we can plan Danny's and my wedding." She winks at Danny.

Tucker chokes and his eyes widen to the size of quarters. "YOU TWO ARE GETTING MARRIED?!"


	15. Girl Talk

Danny and Tucker walk Korra to the Fentons'. Danny decides that he actually does not want to go to the Nasty Burger. He does not want to be in public anymore so Tucker and he resolve to stay at home, play some video games, and order a pizza.

Korra meanwhile finds Maddie, who gives her some sporty clothes. Korra changes and the two ladies head off to the gym. Before she leaves, Korra bids the boys to save her a slice or two of the pizza. "No promises" is the answer.

She and Maddie arrive at the gym named "The Pound Dropper," which according to Maddie is the best gym in Amity Park and she has in fact tried every gym in the city. They decide they want to spar and they fight for a while, neither of them winning nor losing. They use their own styles, which do not mesh with each other, but at least they got some good exercise.

The next stop is the treadmill. Maddie gives Korra a crash-course on how to turn it on and work it. Soon, they are both running.

"Korra, let's have some nice girl talk," Maddie begins their conversation.

Korra agrees. "About what, Maddie?" Yeah, they are already on a first name basis. Maddie decided that is how they are going to do it since they are going to be gym buddies.

"Everybody's favorite topic: love stories," she answers enthusiastically. "So, a pretty and courageous girl like you must have a boyfriend, right?"

"Nope. I did, but we broke up. It just didn't work out. Too much drama, but I did end up becoming best friends with his ex. Also, my ex and I are still friends."

"Wow, how did that happen? Here, usually when you break up with a guy, you don't stay friends with him unless you think that the relationship might start up again."

"Yeah, I've heard that, but I guess when you have to save the world on a regular basis, romance drama and what is considered 'to be weird' is the least of one's worries."

"Saving the world is definitely a priority," Maddie considers what Korra said. "Any rebounds?"

"No. Dating is hard, especially when you're the Avatar. You always have to be somewhere and doing something," Korra explains. "Also as the Avatar, you're constantly in the news. People start speculating things, making stories up and it's hard to set the record straight. When I'm seen with a boy, people assume we're dating, which was the case when Danny was stuck in my world. My dad and the Fire Lord had those thoughts. My mom was shipping us."

"People never understand that a boy and a girl can just be friends! It pisses me off! I know that you and Danny are good friends - you have much in common. You understand each other and I think your friendship is healthy, but I wouldn't mind if you dated my son. You're a fantastic person and I have so much more respect for you since you became my gym buddy. But then again, who he dates really isn't my business. Yes, he is my son and yes, I do have opinions on his loves, but in the end, does my opinion really matter? I'm not the one loving that person, you know?" Korra nods. Maddie continues, "I was never a fan of Danny and Sam dating. They just didn't work together as a couple. As friends, they were spot on. I never said anything because I knew it would be best for him to figure it out for himself. If I told him what I really thought, my opinion might nag him and if he would break up with her, it would seem like he was doing it for me and that it wasn't his choice. If he asked me, I would have told him the truth, but he never did so I kept my mouth shut."

"I think that is very wise. I also think that my mom hass the same policy. I don't think she really liked Mako that much when he was my boyfriend. I think she shipped me with his brother."

Maddie laughs and then become serious. "Whatever I said here is only between us. NO mentioning this conversation to Danny."

Korra raises her hands as if surrendering. "Of course, Maddie. It's called 'girl talk' for a reason. No boys allowed."


	16. Roller Coaster

Danny and Tucker order what they believe to be the superlative pizza ever created by man or ghost, a pizza that would make Sam squirm: the Meat Lovers Three Cheez Delight. It is so damn unhealthy, but it is so damn worth it.

Danny's mind wanders to his mom and Korra. He wonders if them hanging out is going to be an awkward situation. He imagines what they are talking about. Makeup? Clothes? No, both of them are not interested in that sort of stuff. Fighting styles? Him? Most likely, he is the one that brought them together, so to speak: the glue that holds them together. He is very likely to come up. He wonders if they will become best friends and if they will be unbearable together. He shivers. That is a weird idea.

His thoughts shift back to the present moment that he is sharing with Tuck. He tells Tucker about Asami: how gorgeous she is and what a genius she is. Tucker is of course amazed. Who would not be?

"What do you think of Korra?" Danny inquires his best friend.

"She's cool," comes Tucker's pizza muffled reply.

"I'm glad you think so. She's a cool chick and my friend and I would like you guys to get along or at least, tolerate each other."

Tucker swallows what he was chewing and eyes Danny. "Dude, are you going to make a move on her or something?"

"No, why?"

"It sounds like you like like her and you want something more, but you need my approval or whatever."

"Look, she's really pretty - like really, really - but I don't see us together. I was just asking because she's stuck here for a while - maybe forever - so I wanted to make sure that you were cool with her so we can all hang out together. Her friends were nice to me - for the most part - when I was stuck there and I want my friends to reciprocate."

"Yeah, okay, okay. I like her fine," replies Tucker. Danny throws him a look. "No, it doesn't mean I'm going to hit on her."

"Right, I forgot, you stopped hitting on every living feminine being."

"Exactly, but speaking of Korra being here maybe forever and your friends taking a liking to her..." Tucker pauses, unsure of how to articulate certain words. "I don't think Sam is going to be fine with this."

"Me neither, but she's not my girlfriend anymore so I don't have to be accommodating unless Korra is actually harming Sam. Then, I'll intervene. To be honest, I don't think Sam and I are going to be seeing each other often anymore." Danny lazily picks at his pizza slice, trying not to look Tucker in the eye.

"Why?"

Danny does not want to say anything negative about Sam - not that he has any - to Tuck. After all, those two are also friends, the best, but does the guy code always win? Is it always - so to speak - "bros before hoes"?

Danny takes a deep breath and steadies himself. "This breakup...I'm going to make sure it's official and I don't think she'll appreciate that. Every time we broke up, it seemed possibly that we were going to get back together. This time I don't want to. It's way too much drama and it's such a headache...all the breakups and makeups and breakups and makeups."

"I hear you. Following your romance was like riding a roller coaster."


	17. How Korra Spends Her Days

Korra has been getting to know Amity Park a little better every day. She has been going to the gym every other day with Maddie and sometimes, when the weather is spectacular, they skip the gym and walk around town. Maddie is like her own personal free tour guide.

Korra has also been frequenting many food joints with the guys, trying new foods such as Indian, Chinese, Ukrainian, etc. She has tried coffee and she despised it. The drink was disgusting, so bitter. It did not give her an energy boost. It only dehydrated her and made her want to pee very badly. She has no idea how the hell Tucker can down it quick, in a flash. Danny is indifferent to it; he neither loves it nor hates it.

Danny has been busy a lot nowadays. He is always chasing ghosts or being chased by ghosts, the public, or reporters, who want more information on his past whereabouts. Now, that he is back in town, more stories and rumors have been swirling around nonstop.

The day after the press conference, a news article came out announcing Danny's wedding to Korra, who has also become a major news topic by association. She, too, has too wear disguises and she does not like it. Sweaters and caps drive her nuts. She needs lighter clothes because they're easier to fight in. Maddie let Korra borrow her clothes since Korra only has her water tribe fur coat and water tribe outfit with her. She definitely will not blend in with the crowd in that getup.

Soon after the article proclaiming their impending nuptials appeared, Danny became certain that someone has spying on them and relaying the information, even twisting the jokes made between the trio to make an interesting tale, to the newspapers for money or fame or whatever.

Korra remembers how hectic days like these were back in Republic City. She was always the one needed somewhere and Danny was left alone to explore the city. Now, it is the opposite. She is on her own, traveling around the city, while Danny is rushing from neighborhood to neighborhood fighting ghosts. She wishes she could join, but she has to take it lightly because of the injury to her leg. When it actually heals perfectly, she will join him. She promised that to herself. She is also curious about what is the big deal concerning ghost hunting.

She has gotten to know the city even better since she took over the responsibility of walking the other Danny. Korra has developed a surprising bond with the new addition to the Fenton family. They walk, run and play together. It took a while for both of them to get used to the idea of a leash. She refers to it as a method of animal cruelty while puppy Danny sees it as a restraint. According to the Fentons, that is just how things work in Amity Park: dogs are kept on leashes, no exceptions.

Hanging out with puppy Danny is making her miss Naga very much and these thoughts lead her to miss her family and her friends, but she knows that contemplating on her desires to return home will not get her to her preferred destination. There is nothing she can do about this situation, so why not enjoy her time here?

It is a crazy place, but it is interesting. There is one thing that just really grinds her gears. It baffles her that there is a complete lack of bending in this world. Here, the closest thing to bending is when Danny goes ghost and freezes something.

"What a thrill!" she expresses to puppy Danny. She has habit of talking to animals. She feels that they understand her better than other people. She also never has to repeat herself because animals _always_ listen. Korra huffs, "I can do that in my sleep."


	18. Tuesday

It is finally Tuesday. Last week was literally dragging. It was going as slow as a snail glued to the ground. Tuesday is the least busiest day of the week for the ghost hunting business. Apparently, ghosts hate terrorizing on Tuesdays because most of them have died on a Tuesday so they want to take it slow.

Danny thinks that it is a weird reason, but a cool fact. Whatever the motive though, he is glad that he has Tuesday off and he especially needs this Tuesday. Last week was _hell_.

He started the morning later than usual, sleeping in until ten. He had a ton of sleep to catch up on. He lay in bed, stretched like a cat, and slowly went about to start his day. He is going to walk the other Danny with Korra, but other than that he is not going to do much. He is going to take it nice and easy today. After all, a relaxing day does not come that often. Some ghosts do like to work on Tuesdays.

He wishes he could spend some time with Tucker, but Tucker has class. Danny decided that he would not go to college. One goes to college so one could get a job. Danny already has a job and a very well paying one at that. Also, with all this ghost hunting, he would not even have time to devote to his education.

The house is unusually quiet this morning. Jack is not bumbling about and Maddie is not yelling at Jack to be careful. The Fenton parents have gone to a ghost convention. They invited Danny, but he declined. He has had enough of ghosts. He is not going to spend his free day - dedicated to taking time away from ghosts - to do other ghost related activities.

Lazily and still clad in his pajamas, he shuffles around the house. He wonders what he should make himself for breakfast. He decides to have toast because that is the only thing he can make. He decides to have it "Elvis style," with some peanut butter and a banana. 'Protein and more protein...healthy aren't we, Fenton?'

He eats his breakfast and turns on the TV. Surprisingly and thankfully, there is nothing being reported on him or on his faked love life. There are no ghost sightings. He wonders how long will that last. He wonders when the green ghost alarm is going to go off in his home, compelling him into action.

Danny sits on the couch and just focuses on his existence. Nothing else matters right now. The other Danny jumps onto the couch and makes his way into human Danny's laps. Puppy Danny finds a warm spot and makes himself comfortable. Human Danny does not notice this until after a few seconds. He begins to stroke the puppy's fur absentmindedly, sometimes scratching behind its ears.

He glances down at the lovable ball of fur and remembers that he used to be a tad antagonistic towards the fluffy creature. Why? That is something he neither remembers nor comprehends.

The whole house has such a lazy feel to it. He goes back to his room, taking puppy Danny with him. One of the windows is open and there is a nice breeze coming in. Danny begins to doze off, but he is woken by the doorbell.

"Korra!" he yells. "Can you get the door? I'll be down there in a minute. Just need to change!"


	19. A Visitor

Korra jumps from the last two steps of the staircase. She rushes to the door, unfastens the lock, and opens the door to reveal a girl about her age. This girl has black shoulder length hair and is wearing an all black ensemble complete with a black shirt and a black skirt. She dons purple lipstick and purple eye shadow and a slight scowl. Korra has never met this girl, but she knows exactly who she is.

"Who are you?" the girl demands, crossing her arms.

"My name is Korra." Korra sticks out her hand to shake, but the girl does not reciprocate. "You must be Sam. Danny's told me a lot about you."

"I'm sure," Sam smirks. "I haven't heard anything about you."

"That's probably because you were gone...?"

"Well, isn't that _convenient_?"

Korra has no idea how to respond to this girl. She kind of wants to use her bending on her and send her a message that she is not to be trifled with, but she knows Danny will not appreciate that at all. Sam is his ex, but she is also his friend.

Just then, Danny sprints downstairs. He spots Sam and trips, falling down face-first onto the floor. Sam eyes him wearily, while Korra rushes to his aid. He politely brushes off her help and blushes, eyes trailing to Sam, who is still scowling.

"Sam! You're back!" Danny cries with delight - most of it sincere.

"Yeah, and so are you with a...friend," Sam stresses that last word.

"How are you? How was your Goth thing?"

"Oh, it was great. Real Gothic," she replies coldly. She quickly glances at Korra and then turns her attention back to Danny."How was your _disappearance_?"

"It turned out to be really awesome, actually."

"I can see that because you brought back a...souvenir," she sneers.

Korra has had enough. She charges at Sam, hands in their bending positions. "What the hell is your problem? You're acting like a total bitch and you're already jumping to conclusions for which you have no shred of evidence!"

"Whoa! Back off, Barbie doll!"

Sam and Korra are so close, nose to nose. They are breathing heavily, trying to force their feelings of dislike at each other.

"SAM! KORRA! STOP!" Danny yells. "Korra, don't bend at Sam - you might accidently break her. Sam, what the hell is your problem? Did you come here to hang out or did you come to create drama? If it's to create drama, then I beg to leave because I really have no time for this. It's my free day and I would like to relax and drama is the opposite of relaxing."

"I came to see you. I had no idea that you're going to have some chick here with you," Sam replies. "We do have to talk though...in private." She glares at Korra, who mimics Sam (with much exaggeration), the same way that Korra once mimicked Chief Beifong on her first day at Republic City when she was sent to jail.

"Let's talk," Danny agrees. "Excuse us, Korra."


	20. The Talk

With an apologetic look directed at Korra, Danny leads Sam to the kitchen where they could speak privately - just as Sam had requested. They sit down at the table at opposite ends. They are mesmerized by the kitchen's decor. They catch each other glimpsing at one another. This is obviously an awkward situation and Sam does not know where to begin.

Danny does not feel like admiring the kitchen rug anymore so he exhales and looks at Sam. "So...how was the Goth thing?"

Sam sighs, "We already went over this..."

"Yeah, but you're the one who needs to tell me something and you're not saying it so I'm trying to break the ice and take a stab at some conversation."

"Fair enough."

Danny waits for Sam to spit it out. "Sam...I don't want to be rude, but I really don't have all day - I mean I do, but..."

"But you want to spend it with that girl," she says very harshly.

"No, I don't want to sit in the kitchen staring awkwardly at each other."

"Right. So when I was at Gothapolooza in Budapest..." Sam quiets down. She clearly does not know how to say what she really wants to say. "...um...I...uh..."

"You killed someone?" Danny butts in, trying to force her to say what is on her mind.

"NO!"

"It was a joke."

"Well, cut it out! This is important," she snaps. "I meet someone..." She looks at his face, wondering what how angry or upset he will be, but Danny, on the contrary, is relieved.

"Are you mad?"

"No, I'm glad that you did. We weren't working out anyway. We're better off as friends. I was going to tell you that after you came back from wherever you were."

"Good. I'm glad we're on the same page," Sam says. "You clearly have moved on and really fast because you're already living with this girl."

"Sam, Kor's my friend, not my girlfriend, and she's visiting from another world. She has no other place to stay, okay? So tell me about this guy."

"He's a goth and his name is Gregor."

Danny laughs. "Are you sure he's not really Elliot from Michigan?"

"Ha ha. Are you sure Korra's really not a ghost hunter?"


	21. Explosion

For the past couple of days, Danny has been in amazing spirits due to the fact that he is not carrying the burden of an impending breakup. The has been dealt with and he is so thankful. That is what he has told Korra, but she did not need his confession to realize his true feelings on that matter.

Even though they have broken up, Sam still has not taken to Korra, who she assumes is dating Danny or at least has him wrapped around her finger. Korra finds Sam's behavior super odd considering Danny and Sam are no longer a couple.

To celebrate Sam's coming back, the Fentons threw a little party, to which Sam brought Gregor, who Korra found to be quite uninteresting. He was very tattooed and wore a lot of eyeliner and a scowl, one to match Sam's. She also could not understand at all when he spoke. She found that very irritating.

Danny also did not really take to Gregor, but he is making an effort to get along with him, hoping Sam will catch the drift and be nicer to Korra. At the party, Tucker announced that he was working on a trans-dimensional portal, just in case Korra wanted to go home.

Korra was very thankful, of course. She grew to become amazing friends with Tucker. They would hang out when Danny was catching ghosts and when Tucker would not be in school. Tucker also entrusted her with a humongous secret, which she is sure to take to her grave.

The days have been passing by quickly. Fall has been setting in and she has been taking longs walks just to take in the beautiful orange scenery. Danny has been lazing around because there have been no ghostly activities.

Korra thought that days like these were going to continue, but she was proved wrong on Halloween when some medical lab blew up, killing a doctor who was working on a cure for the common cold. This story dominated the headlines. Rumors started swirling around. Some people speculated it was a murder. Others - a suicide. There were a few rallying cries that this was an accident, while some others claimed that ghosts were somehow responsible for this tragedy.

The ghost theory makes no sense to Korra. Neither does it to Danny, but he has to check it out. He made a promise to keep the city safe from ghosts and he intends to keep it. If ghosts are responsible, he will find them and prevent them from performing this again.

In about two hours, Danny comes back from the site and announces that he rules out the ghost theory. He claims that it was an accident. Some volatile chemicals were mixed and they blew up when the compound came into contact with oxygen.

"Well, that's done with," he announces somberly.

But Korra is not so sure. She has some kind of inkling, originating from her gut, telling her that this explosion is just the beginning of some crazy tale.


	22. Mystery

The lab explosion might not have had anything to do with ghosts before, but now, reports of eerie activities in the destroyed lab have been spreading around like wildfire. The people who decreed that the accident was murder are freaking out because they think that the ghost has come back and is seeking revenge on his slayer. They fear he will not stop until he gets his way, no matter what the cost turns out to be.

Danny has had enough of the rumors and the paranoia so he decides to check it out. He flies to the lab on a chilly November morning. The lab has been blocked off and under quarantine. His ghostly powers come in handy when he is trying to be all ninja like and undetectable.

He goes inside and flies from corner to corner, trying to spy something ghostlike. His ghost senses are not picking up anything. He decides to walk around instead of zooming around. Maybe, he will see some answers when his feet are planted on the ground rather than when he is zipping around in the air.

He walks a few inches when he spots some ecto-residue. A ghost has been here so the people who were deemed paranoid are not so unreasonable. He begins to wonder which ghost has visited this lab, but there are no doctor ghosts or any specters - that he knows of - who have any connections to medicine.

Maybe...Bertrand? But that seems unlikely. That was one time. One time does not equal a gimmick. Maybe it is the doctor who perished in the blast? Danny looks for more residue and sees nothing, but he is not satisfied. He believes that this ghost might come back. Why? He does not know. Maybe the ghost is lost or maybe it has a more sinister purpose? Either way, Danny will investigate.

He makes his way back to the house and relays the news to his friends.

"Maybe you didn't clean up after yourself?" Korra teases him.

"Danny has better things to do than haunt a demolished lab!" snaps Sam.

"Chill out, Sam. Kor's just teasing," Tucker says lazily while Korra rolls her eyes.

Danny chooses to ignore this. He has been doing that often. Sam has been hanging out with them more frequently, which means that she has been snapping at Korra a lot. Danny wonders if Sam is jealous or if she is having relationship problems with Gregor and is taking it out on Korra.

Whatever the reason it is not a good one and she has to stop. He sends Tucker to talk some sense into Sam. If he did it himself, he would get the accusatory statements from Sam, which he does not need. How many times can he explain to her that he and Korra are just friends? It seems like Sam does not want to believe the truth.


	23. Going to the Movies

Days are zipping by and Korra is pining for her home more every day. She is frustrated that she cannot use her bending so much here. There is no one to train or spar with. She is going a little crazy. To feel useful, she has been joining Danny on ghost treks. Those have been interesting experiences.

She and Danny fought with the Lunch Lady and Korra ended up in a bucket of meat. They meet up with Technus, who Korra deems to be quite a hilarious character. He is always yelling out his name and his plans, as if they are not obvious. The Box Ghost is no threat, but he does give the two quite a work out because they are forced into chasing him across town as he is on a mission to initiate heart attacks in people when they open boxes.

Danny knows Korra feels homesick so one day, he whisked her away to the Ghost Zone and into Frostbite's domain. There they spent the entire day, playing with snowballs and doing other snow related activities. For Korra, this was a huge training arena, where she, of course like the diligent student she is, practiced her ass off.

She made quite an impression on Frostbite, who has decreed that she is welcome in his realm any time she wants. It will never be an inconvenience. Danny started to wonder if Frostbite might have a thing for Korra.

One day, a few days before Thanksgiving, Danny invites Sam, Tucker, and Korra to go see a movie. They all agree that they need to do something fun and nothing to do with ghosts, which means any movie containing supernatural/paranormal elements is off the table.

On their way to the theater, Danny makes a detour.

"I'm going to check out the lab and make sure the ghost didn't come back. Wait for me. I won't be long."

They do not want to wait. The movie starts soon and they do not want to be late. Danny insists and they reluctantly let him go.

"Be careful. Don't make a mess," Korra advises her ghostly friend.

"No promises," he winks back at her and flies off.

Now it is just the three of them. The silence is awkward. The minutes drag. They are eager to get to the cinema. Tucker keeps glancing at his phone, checking the time. He does that quite often, each time looking more worried than before

"You guys," he begins. Korra and Sam, who have been in their worlds up until now, turn to face their techno-loving friend. "It's been ten minutes. I think Danny's in trouble."


	24. The Ghost

Danny makes his way to ruins of the lab. He gets in easily, the same way he has been doing it all those other times. This time, however, it feels different and he realizes why just as he enters the ruins. There is more ecto-residue around, which means something strange is occurring here.

Danny acknowledges that he needs to be much more careful today. He sneaks around the lab and of course, he is invisible. After a couple of steps to the right from the entrance, he sees a ghost, whose back is turned to Danny.

The ghost is floating around looking for something. It is wearing a lab coat and seems to know its way around the lab really well. Danny has an inkling that this ghost is the dead doctor.

Danny inches closer, trying to get a better idea of what the ghostly doctor is searching for. He is intent on getting to it faster than the ghost even though he has no idea what he is seeking, which is definitely a disadvantage. He has the feeling this ghost is not friendly. It is a doctor and doctors are never friendly, right?

He is too busy, trying to figure out what the ghost doctor wants, to pay attention to his surroundings. He bumps into a table, making a loud bang. It hurts like hell and he swears like a sailor. The ghost definitely heard this commotion.

The ghost turns around and spots Danny, smiling sinisterly. "So...Danny Phantom, you think you can sneak around my lab and not get caught? Not very wise."

"I've been doing that for a while and never got caught," Danny sasses the ghost.

"I guess there's a first time for everything." The doctor smiles, covers his nose and mouth, and lifts up a small cylindrical container. He presses the button, releasing some sort of gas, which knocks Danny out.

After a few minutes, Danny wakes up. He realizes that he is tied up to one of the lab's support beams, which does not do any supporting anymore. Danny struggles to free himself, but it does not work. He cannot phase through the ropes. The doctor has come prepared. The doctor sees that Danny is awake. "Why, hello, Danny. Nice of you to wake up."

"Why are you here? What do you want?"

"I want to gather the same chemicals that killed me."

"And what are they?"

"I would tell you, but you do look like someone who is not learned in chemistry so this would not make sense to you."

Danny does not take this comment to heart. There will always be critics and there will always be people who think you are dumb. There is no good reason to dwell on these thoughts so he decides it would be more fruitful to obtain information from the doctor. "Why do you need these chemicals? They killed you."

"Very good and soon, I will not be their only victim."


	25. Confessions

Korra, Sam, and Tucker are very worried about Danny. They decide to check out the lab, hoping nothing serious has happened. Maybe Danny got lost? Maybe he got trapped under some rubble? They hope he is not hurt. If he is hurt, they hope not badly.

They arrive at the lab and hear people talking. One of them - they realize - is Danny. They breathe freely; he is not hurt. 'Who is the other person?' They all communicate this question with their looks.

They decide to check it out; they sneak in. Korra relies on Tenzin's teachings to be as quick as a cat and as light as a feather. Airbending does come in handy in certain situations, especially those of the spying kind.

But apparently, somehow, they were making way too much noise even though they were struggling not to let a single breath escape their bodies. They make it inside and they are immediately knocked out.

They wake up several minutes later. Korra looks around and sees a bomb, which is ticking. Her eyes widen. They are going to die. Shit.

"What is going on here?" Sam asks sleepily. "Why are we tied up?"

"The doctor, who died in the lab explosion, is the ghost that has been visiting. He was looking for the chemicals that killed him. He found them after he captured you guys."

"What does he want with the chemicals?" Korra asks.

"To kill everybody," replies Danny.

"WHAT?!" Tucker is unmistakably horrified.

"Stop freaking out, Tuck. We've been in similar situations and we always came out on top," Danny says.

"Well, you were always able to get out of traps! Plus, we were never trapped with you! I don't see how we'll get out of this!" Tucker panics. "And if we don't, I have a confession to make!"

Sam and Danny stare at Tucker. They have no idea what to expect to hear from Tucker. Korra knows. She has been keeping it a secret from those two for a while.

"I'M GAY!" Tucker shouts and looks at the two, who stare at him with open eyes, clearly not expecting this admission.

Danny sighs. "I have a confession, too. I saw Val a couple of days ago at a coffee shop and...and I asked her out."

"Well, now I have to start being mean to Valerie," Sam replies. She turns to Korra. "I'm sorry I was bitchy to you. I'm just very protective of Danny. Forgive me?"

Korra accepts her apology. She begins to think. She has something on her that has been nagging her since the day she and Asami crash-landed into the desert.

"I think I like Asami."


	26. The Bomb

Danny cannot believe that they all just admitted something. He cannot believe that Tuck is gay and that Korra may have a thing for Asami. 'But then again, who doesn't have a thing for Asami?'

He could spend hours mulling this new information over, but he does not have hours. In fact, he might not even have a couple of minutes. He looks over at the timer. It reads six minutes and fourteen, thirteen seconds.

"Are we done confessing or does anyone need to add something else?"

"Nope, I think we're good," Tucker says. Korra and Sam both nod.

"Good, now we need to get out of this so we can stop the ghost doctor."

"He doesn't have a name?" asks Sam.

"I don't think I care right now. We have a world to save!" Danny says.

"You, guys!" shouts Tucker, who garners all their attention. "I've got a knife with me!"

"You just happen to carry a knife?!" Korra is incredulous.

"What? It's my meat knife! Don't judge me!"

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Danny demands.

"I was panicking, okay? Now, let me get it out." Tucker wiggles around, trying to get the knife out of his backpack. Soon, it falls out. It is in a bright red case. Tucker somehow manages to use his limited acrobatics and frees the knife from its case. Then he frees himself and then proceeds to liberate Danny, who decides to preoccupy himself with the bomb while Tucker attends to the ladies.

The timer is down to three minutes and four seconds. Danny has no idea how to diffuse the bomb. Korra does not either. She is not good with technology in her own world and the technology is definitely more complex here. She is not even going to pretend that she can contribute something useful. Sam also has no idea, not that she would. She is not into violence and stuff unless it is on TV. The bomb even trumps Tucker.

The timer keeps on counting down. Danny decides to take the bomb outside. He flies into the sky and waits until the timer goes down to ten seconds. He throws it up and whooshes as quickly as possible to the ground. In ten seconds, the bomb explodes in the air, causing no harm to anyone.

"That's taken care of." Danny rubs his hands together. "Now, let's go find the doctor and put a stop to his crazy ass plan. Agreed?"

"Hell yeah!" His three friends chime in.


	27. The Crazy Doctor

Danny quickly retells the gang the ghost's plans. He desires to go to the Amity Park Needle, the tallest skyscraper in Amity Park which used to be owned by Vlad Masters. The ghost intends to blow up the needle, scattering the killer concoction everywhere. After he has destroyed Amity Park, he will move onto other cities, imposing on them the same fate.

Danny flies himself and Tucker to the needle, while Korra accompanies them using her airbending with Sam in tow. They arrive quickly to their destination, which is still intact, meaning the doctor is still gathering the materials needed to execute his deadly plan.

Relying on Danny's intangibility, Danny and Tucker phase through a window. Danny begins to confront the doctor, who seems genuinely surprised that they have made it out alive. Meanwhile, Tucker opens the window for the girls.

"Well, Danny, I guess I underestimated you. You are not as stupid as you look."

"I'm just resourceful. Now, stop this madness!"

"Madness?" The ghost laughs. "This is not madness. Life is madness. That is the epiphany that was presented to me by death."

Danny just stares at him with a blank face. He has no idea how to respond to this bold statement.

"You may be resourceful as you say, Danny Phantom, but you are no way smart. I retract my previous statement in which I believe that I may have been mistaken."

"I don't have time to talk about my supposed stupidity!"

"Ah, but soon, time will not matter because you will become a ghost."

"Hello! I'm already half-ghost and time still matters when I transform."

"But shortly, you and your friends will all become ghosts. You will die because that will be better for everyone. We all will die eventually, so why not speed up the process? There is no point in life. We live to die. Ironic, no?"

"You're a doctor! Where's your compassion?" Sam demands.

"My dear, this solution, this plan just drips with compassion. How many people think about death daily? They know it will happen and they dread it. This trepidation eats away at their souls. If I kill them all now, then they will have nothing to worry about because the inevitable will have already happened."

When he stops talking, a chunk of the needle hits the ghost, knocking him out. Korra makes an "oops" face, as if this was an accident. She just wanted this guy to shut up because he reminds her of Zaheer, who also thinks that extreme solutions are the best resolutions.


	28. Almost Good-Bye

Danny was not expecting Korra to take such quick and drastic action. He tasks Tucker with finding the volatile chemicals, while Sam calls the authorities. Meanwhile, he will fly home and get the Fenton thermos so he can imprison the doctor in it.

He cannot believe that this is over. It has never been this quick and easy, but then again, he has not had Korra's help all those other instances. Also, they usually involved a lot of chasing the specters.

He accomplishes his mission and arrives at the needle, where the authorities have already gathered, blocking off and quarantining the scene. Tucker has found the chemicals, which he handed over to the authorities, who are going to lock them up real tight. No one is going to know the location, except for one scientist who is going to hide it.

"Guys, I'm sorry we didn't get to go to the movies," Danny apologizes to his friends.

"The movies? Wow! I forgot we had plans!" she cries. "This was so much more fun!"

"Yeah, it was like old times," Sam chimes in.

"We can catch another showing after this," Tucker adds.

They all agree to go see the movie, which turns to be quite a disappointment. The days following the whole ordeal have been busy for both Danny and Tucker. Danny notices that Sam and Korra have been hanging out a bit, which makes him happy. He loves it when his friends get along.

He went on his date with Valerie, which was very pleasant. They reminisced about the past and lamented that they did not get together earlier. Danny is hopeful that this relationship will turn out amazing.

He also met Tucker's boyfriend, Fitz, an Irish fellow who goes by an abbreviation of his last name "Fitzpatrick," but has not told anyone - not even Tucker - his real name. Fitz is also a meat-loving techno-geek, who has a penchant for languages. Danny is happy that Tucker has found someone who makes him happy.

In a couple of days, Tucker and Fitz announce that they have finished building the trans-dimensional portal. Danny is saddened by this. He has forgotten that Korra does not hail from this world, but he knows that she can never disregard.

He does not want Korra to go. They need to be together because they understand each other, but he knows that she needs to go, that she wants to go.

Danny decides that he wants to throw her a going away party, which will be catered by Nasty Burger. They will take many pictures, which Korra will take back to her own world so she can remember the good times.


	29. The Farewell Party

Korra's Farewell party occurs on a frosty December day. The snows falls gently, lightly covering the ground. Korra is reminded of her home, which she will see very soon. This thought makes her very giddy, a perfect attitude for a party.

The Fentons have decorated the house in blue. Jazz has come home for the holidays. Korra was right when she thought that Jazz would be a great friend, but an overbearing sister. Sam came with Gregor and Tucker with Fitz. Danny also invited Valerie, who Korra deems is a very badass chick. The two girls hit it off. Val harbors no feelings of jealousy or resentment towards the Avatar.

They eat and party and party and eat. The festivities come to a close at ten o'clock, which is when Tucker brings out the trans-dimensional portal.

Korra is delighted that this moment has come, but she also cannot believe that it is has arrived. She knows that she has to go back home. She also really wants to, but she realizes that she does not want to say goodbye to her friends here.

With a heavy heart, she inches toward the portal. She turns to look at her friends, who have surrounded, trying to hug her. She says her goodbyes to everyone, including puppy Danny, who has noticed that something is off. He pulls on her boot, to make her stay. Korra scoops up the puppy and gives him a big kiss.

She hands the furball to Danny, who gives her a big and long hug. "Don't forget about me. Tell Bolin and everyone else that I miss them, that I say 'thanks,' 'hello' and 'take care.'"

"I won't forget," Korra promises, wiping off a tear rolling down her cheek.

Maddie calls out, "Good-bye, work-out buddy! I'll miss you so much, sweetie. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me." Korra laughs while Maddie receives glares from her two children and husband.

Tucker hugs her and tells her to be honest with Asami, to tell her how she feels. "I will. I'm planning to do that soon...unless another world crisis happens."

With once last meaningful glance at everyone, she steps into the portal and directs her thoughts onto her home. The machine whirs and she feels herself spinning.

In a couple of seconds, she stops spinning and falls out onto the ground. She lands on something cold and white: snow. She has just fallen out of the spirit portal.

"HOORAY!" she frolics in the snow, throwing it up into the sky. She falls onto the ground and makes a snow angel. After rejoicing a bit, she decides that it is time to go home.

She will miss her new friends, especially Danny, but she belongs here. She has duties and a life here. She is glad for the experience in Amity Park. She thanks Tucker for encouraging her to be honest with her romantic feelings. It is one thing to recognize these feelings, but it is another to act on them and she will when she gets the chance.

"No delays, no exceptions unless some crazy dictator tries to take over the world," she promises to herself.


	30. A Week Later

It has been a week since Korra had departed from Amity Park. A lot has happened since then. Sam and Gregor have gone to another Goth thing, which is taking place in London. Danny and Val have gone on two more dates, each being better than the last.

Paulina has been arrested for stalking Danny. Now, he has a restraining order against her. She has been caught trespassing. Danny walked into his room and found her snooping around and immediately, flew her to jail. It also turns out that she was the one selling all those false stories to the newspapers.

Danny admits that Sam had merit to hate on this crazy chick. Danny cannot believe that he used to harbor a humongous crush on this girl, who is absolutely gorgeous, but turns out to be a loony.

Puppy Danny has been moping around the house a lot. Human Danny can tell that the poor soul misses Korra as much as he does. Human Danny has been spending a lot of time with puppy Danny. They both try to fill in the void left by the Water Tribe beauty.

Maddie also misses her work out buddy. Danny volunteered to become Korra's substitute, which brought Maddie such joy. Now, Danny and Maddie frequent the gym together once a week. Maddie would like to do it more often, but she knows they cannot since they both have ghost hunting duties to attend to.

Jazz has been tailing Danny because she has missed him so much. She was so worried. He missed her, too, and they have been frequenting cafes and the movies together. It seems that Jazz was out of the loop that Danny came back. Jack forgot to call her. Maddie vowed not to trust Jack to do anything anymore.

Being back in Amity Park with all his friends and his family sure is nice, but he does miss Korra's world and especially Korra. He regrets that he was not able to spend as much time as he would have liked to. He knows that she did not take that to heart. That is what is amazing about her - she understands him better than anyone else. He can always talk to her about anything. There are some things that he just cannot tell anyone else.

He remembers Tucker's portal. He smiles, "At least I can visit her anytime I want to."


End file.
